Getting up to speed

So, here's what's been happening lately:

I have flowers on my zuchinni, my raspberries are ripening, and my lettuce is already being harvested. Yum!
I also have lots of spiders in my oganic garden. Our garden has been organic for 30-40 years so we have lots of bugs and widelife. I think they say, *Go over to the Douty's yard. It's full of food and ya won't get sick if ya eat it.* So they all come. We have bugs, butterflies, birds (including an owl), rabbits, deer, and we live in the city. And they yard isn't big.

I'm having an *abnormal* period again. According to my doctor two does not make *an event*. I still think she just doesn't want to say I'm heading for menopause cause she thinks I'm too young. she should have seen my surprise when this all started at nine! I thought I was too young then! Let me just say that I barely cope with one period in the regular time frame. Two is more than I need, thank you very much. Let's just get on with this. Plus the regular ones have been getting weird. Which is weird for me.

I've made friends with the witches from Grove of Gaia. Not Reclaiming but very nice, sane people which here in Pittsburgh means a great deal. I just found out one of them lives a block away from me. Nice!

I went to their Summer Solstice ritual. This is nice cause I just have to show up. I don't have to lug stuff around. I don't have to plan it. I just get to be there.

Our ritual is next weekend cause some key people are away this weekend. But at least we got some magic in on the actual day. And with great people too.

Tomorrow is the Pride parade and the big event with booths and all. There have been events all over the city all week. Mostly at bars and such so I've not gone to them. I'll be at the parade tomorrow. Yep.

growing stuff

I am getting used to the food allergies. The relief I feel physically far out weighs any desire to eat the offending foods. The only problem lies in the derivatives of milk which is SO pervasive. It is in so much. Foods I would not have expected to contain any trace of milk or milk product do indeed.

I am enjoying my garden this year. I am looking forward to peas, beans, potatos, zucchini, tomatoes, several kinds of lettuce (some of which will be ready very soon, raspberries and dandelion. I am so pleased that this land has been organic for some forty years.
I am not too pleased with myself for having planted bamboo. At the time I really didn't know it was invasive and I actually thought it would die the first winter. It did not. It thrives. It is pushing out my lillies of the valley. So, I pull and dig and pull and cut. I hope to, at least, give the lillies of the valley a fighting chance. They've been there for a hundred years.

The garden has tied in nicely with my work with water. Chop wood, carry water. I am not useing a hosepipe to water. I am using a watering can. It's an effort at respect and honoring water and not wasting it. It helps that this is not a desert and we get enough rain.
My painting is very rewarding too, if not for my talent then for the sheer peace it brings.

Off to forage for food. In the kitchen.